Ivory Coast: Ouattara Sworn In as President

By Staff writer

Abidjan - Alassane Ouattara was sworn in as president of the Ivory Coast on Saturday in an inauguration ceremony attended by world leaders.

The ceremony, held at the administrative capital Yamoussoukro was attended by thousands of people. Among them, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and French President Nicolas Sarkozy as well as at least 10 regional heads of state, including Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and Paul Biya of Cameroon.

Ouattara’s victory in the November election led to four months of armed conflict between his supporters and those loyal to incumbent Laurent Gbagbo, who ruled the world’s largest cocoa producer for a decade and who refused to cede power.

At least 2,000 people were killed during the crisis, according to the UN.

UN peacekeepers and troops from the country's former colonial power France had supported Ouattara in the power struggle that erupted after presidential elections November in which the now ousted president Laurent Gbagbo claimed victory.

“To all Ivorians and to all who are living on Ivorian soil, I appeal for reconciliation and hope. I am solemnly committed to begin the reconciliation process through dialogue, solidarity and justice,” Ouattara said in the speech.

Gbagbo was forced out of office and placed under house arrest by the Ivorian Republican Forces militia in Abidjan, the commercial capital, on April 11 following a 10-day siege on the city

Ouattara has promised to begin a truth and reconciliation process similar to that in South Africa after the abolition of white minority rule. He has also asked the International Criminal Court in The Hague to investigate the conflict.